


Aim High

by lazura234



Category: Pengin Kakumei | Penguin Revolution, スタミュ: 高校星歌劇 | Starmyu | High School Star Musical
Genre: Actors, Comedy, Crossover, Family, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Idols, Multi, Musicals, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, implied mention of haikyuu characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazura234/pseuds/lazura234
Summary: Kaori is given an offer to take the manager course at Ayanagi Academy by her grandfather as a challenge. Taking this as an opportunity to prove that she’s a capable manager, Kaori enters Ayanagi Academy. Only to meet a familiar childhood friend along the way. (Season One: Currently)(Warning: mentions taking place after the ending of Penguin Revolution)
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Penguin Revolution or Starmyu at all except my ocs.

I clutched my books close. 

My lips pressed together as I anxiously stare at the person before me.

“Kao-chan.” My grandpa, wearing an unreadable smile, ushered me to come closer while holding a chocolate cigarette in his left hand. There was a feeling of uncertainty going through me as I made my way over. 

_ ‘He doesn’t call me over unless it’s for Grandma.’  _

Once I was standing in front of my grandpa, I warily asked him. “What is it, grandpa?” 

Lowering the chocolate cigarette, grandpa lifted his right hand and placed it on top of my hair. The next thing I know, my hair was being ruffled into a mess leaving me to grunt in annoyance.

“H-Hey!” 

_ ‘Grandpa, stop it!’  _

_ ‘I’m not a kid anymore!’ _

After making a complete mess of my hair, grandpa finally spoke up. “Your eyes are just like your mother’s.” 

“...Huh?” 

Why is he bringing up mom? 

“I wonder if you’ll be able to take up this challenge I have for you.” Curious of what he said, I looked up while fixing my hair. Only to find a set of papers in his hand, the first page had a picture of an academy. The bold words titled,  **_Ayanagi Academy_ ** .

“Ayanagi Academy?” Isn’t that the school known for rising male stars? It was a boarding school, well known among the girls into trends, meant for male students aiming for stardom.

But...it’s clear. 

I’m not a guy.

In fact, I am one hundred percent all girl. 

My name is Fujimaru Kaori.

And the person I’m raising a brow at was none other than…Torii Hidemitsu. 

My grandpa. 

“Yes, the same one that brought up many stars as great as your cousin Nao.” He pointed at a certain part of the first page to me and stated, still wearing that same smile. “Ayanagi Academy normally accepts male students for their musical department, but there's an exception to those petitioning as managers for these would-be stars.” 

“Now, Kao-chan...A female manager is rare. If you can find a succeeding group among those in the entertainment enrollment, then I’ll allow you to become Nao’s full fledged manager.” 

“But not just anyone can take on the role, especially a woman.” 

Grandpa.

_ ‘It seems like he hasn’t forgotten what I said back then.’ _

It was clear by the way he worded it. Female managers with male stars are known to get into scandals and heaps of trouble. 

Grandpa emphasized the reality of being a woman can lead to a toxic situation, which is a reminder of how serious he is. Back when I was younger, mom told me of the multiple times she worked under him while helping dad out. After all, grandpa was the former boss of the famous company known as  **_Peacock._ **

A company that only produced the best male stars with their unusual ranking system. The highest being peacocks that rank from 1-10, the preliminary ranks known as crows, and the lowest with poor recognition known as penguins. As of today, Nao is considered the current reigning leader among the talents. The current number one peacock, Kazuki Naoya. 

But there was only one female star that started and will forever be a symbolic figure in the entertainment business.

Her name was none other than Oka Yoko. 

But...where exactly does my parents fit into this? Especially my mom? Well it all started when my mom found out that the vice president of the student council in her school was actually a guy and that guy was none other than my dad. After many trials and tribulations, they’ve acquired their desired dreams and continued the legendary company known as Peacock. 

My mom is the current boss, while my dad continues shining as one of the great stars with Uncle Mashiba. 

But where do I fit in this? 

Well...today is the day I made a deal with grandpa in order to succeed my mom and him as manager. 

My grandfather can see stars from within the center of their pulls. 

My mom had the knack for seeing stars by the clarity of their wings. 

Then there's me. 

My eyes can see a certain sparkle that glistens whenever a person shows their talent. 

This…

This is the story of how I became the manager for Team Otori. 

“I’ll do it.” 

“Good.” While placing the chocolate cigarette into his mouth, a small smirk lifted as he mumbled. “I expect good results, Kao-chan.”

“Of course, Grandpa.” 

Before I could leave the room, he asked an abrupt question. “Hey, Kao-chan.” 

“Hm?” 

“Do you want to do the same thing your mom did when she helped your dad?”

I grimaced at the thought. 

“No, I’d rather not succumb to your weird fantasies grandpa.” When my mom worked with Peacock, she had to hide her gender among the workers and those at school. Male manager at Peacock and a normal teenager aiming to be a public official. I sometimes wondered how my mom and dad managed that kind of feat.

‘ _ I’m so glad Ayanagi has an exceptional course for managers and those enrolling in general education courses _ .’ 


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion

Passing the exam for the manager department felt like it was yesterday, and here I am walking through the gates of the academy.

Though...I feel completely flustered by the fact that I’m one of the few girls already on campus. 

I know I wasn’t the only girl taking the exams, but really...why are there so many boys here?! 

I’m having a hard time trying to resist grabbing my cell phone to take pictures of potential ships!!! 

Hugging. The angry friend yelled “You’re late!” to his friend. The fistbumping! Oh dear...I hope I’m not drooling while walking. 

_ ‘Maybe I should’ve disguised myself as a boy? _ ’ It really feels awkward, walking into Ayanagi Academy with no one to talk to. I should have talked to one of the students taking the manager entrance exam yesterday. 

_ ‘How frustrating.’ _ I internally cried while resisting the urge to take pictures, but in the midst of my thoughts something or rather someone bumped into me from behind. “Ack!”

“Wah!” A boy’s yelp resounded from behind me. By the time I turned around, I found the boy sitting on the ground.

“Sorry! Didn’t see where I was going.” 

“No it’s not a problem.” As I held my hand out to him, I noticed something oddly familiar about him. 

_‘Huh?’_ Although his voice sounds different, it’s similar to  _ that _ person.

It wasn’t until I helped him stand up that I finally registered his appearance.

“Thanks!” That smile! It's the same as before! 

I literally sputtered in surprise while saying his name out loud, “Yuta-kun?!”

“Huh? Wait...there's only two other people besides my parents that call me by my first name?” Taking a full glance at me, I was met by a pair of surprised green eyes and a bright smile. “Kao-chan!” 

“Uwah!” 

Soon I found myself being held up into the air, looking down at Yuta. My face burned in embarrassment of his sudden actions. 

“I can’t believe Kao-chan is going to the same school as me!” But it didn’t take him until a few moments later to realize that there was something odd about that. “Wait, why are you here at Ayanagi Academy? I thought you were going to an all girl’s school.” 

I whacked him in the head immediately causing the poor boy to wince and drop me. I landed right onto the ground with my two feet. “Ouch, that hurt Kao-chan!” 

I huffed while crossing my arms. “You shouldn’t be holding a girl up in the air like that.” 

Since he confirmed it...this person is Hoshitani Yuta. One of my old classmates and a friend back in primary school. 

Though we ended up going to different middle schools, so I lost contact with him...but to think he’s enrolled in Ayanagi Academy. I thought Yuta didn’t have much interest in the entertainment business back then, but maybe something changed. 

_ ‘He...does have a lot more glimmering green sparkles than before. _ ’ I thought it was one of the people walking passed him, but nope. It’s truly Yuta’s inner aura as a possible star. 

“And so Kao-chan, what are you doing here in Ayanagi Academy?” 

“I’m in the manager department.” 

Tugging my blazer a bit, I revealed a small pin showing a cursive MD symbol. The proof that shows I’m part of the manager department for Ayanagi Academy.

“Manager department?” Yuta blinked in surprise at my words, “What’s that?” 

As expected, Yuta. Never thoroughly reads the fine print or stays oblivious to everything around him, 

_ ‘This isn’t the first time he’s done this.’ _

Yuta would always focus on one thing and then ignore the rest. 

“It’s a department of students aiming to become managers of the rising stars in the musical department. Basically the person that assists idols on their schedule. Making them arrive on time and in top shape that way they can give the audience the best performance. Not to mention they sometimes serve as a backup bodyguard.” 

“Oh…” At first he absorbed my brief explanation, but still looked confused. “Wait, then how did you pass it?” 

“Letter of recommendation and the tests weren’t that hard.” Apparently it was fairly similar to the one my mom went through to become dad’s manager. As mom says, always be diligent when it comes to studying and practicing self defense.

“Well congrat-!” His congratulations was cut short immediately when a blonde boy knocked into him, I quickly sidestepped in order to avoid becoming a part of the domino effect. 

“AGH!!” The two boys yelled in pain. I winced. 

“Are you two okay?” I held my hands out to both of them. The guy who bumped into Yuta seemed more shy by the tone of his voice.

“Thanks.” The blonde boy muttered in response, but his face reddened the minute he saw me, “S-Sorry!” 

To the point that he started mumbling something about holding hands with a girl. 

“It’s alright.” I waved off, ignoring his string of mumbles. “My name is Fujimaru Kaori, and he is-”

“Hoshitani Yuta, and your name is?” 

“N...Nayuki Toru.” 

_ ‘Hm.’ _ While Yuta began to strike a conversation with Nayuki, I focused on his complete outward appearance first.  _ ‘He has a strong innocence and cuteness essence compared to the current talents at Peacock.’ _

_ ‘There’s a lot of pink and yellow sparkles surrounding him too, but it’s not as strong as aspiring beginner talents.’  _ He did sound nervous. ‘ _ But what is this?’  _

His sparkles are getting stronger next to Yuta’s. 

_‘Is he taking the entrance exam for the musical department? Maybe Yuta-kun is also enrolling in the same department.’_ Before I could get a chance to ask the two boys about their departments, a bunch of male students suddenly began lining up at the entrance of the school. 

“It’s the musical department!” Some other students whispered out loud, buzzing with excitement. The sudden announcement of the musical department left Nayuki to fret. “W-What should I do?”

A bunch of students scrambled their way to the side, leaving enough room for a particular group of four students. Those particular four had a completely different set of blazers from the general education and manager department students. 

“It’s Kao Council!” 

Yuta held a look of confusion while I pondered on what was going to happen next. I only briefly read up on Ayanagi Academy, so I’m probably on the same spot as Yuta when something like this happens. 

“Nayuki, what’s this fuss about?” Yuta asked, only to receive a wide eye Nayuki. “You don’t know, Hoshitani?”

“I don’t know about this either. I don’t remember reading it.” I admitted feeling just as lost as Yuta. 

“The Kao Council is a group of third years that are the top.” Nayuki then made a brief explanation on what was happening, until a blast of music sounded from the front of the school. 

The three of us shifted our gazes to the source, only to find a female student standing at the top of the steps. Her uniform was no different than mine, but there was a small remote in her right hand. Brown skirt, cream blazer, burgundy colored ribbon. Her black hair was long and tied into a single side braid.

She smiled softly to the other students before her and pressed a button on the remote. Then music slowly played out loud for everyone in the courtyard to see. A group of four, presumably the Kao Council Nayuki mentioned, made their way to the top of the stairs. Once in position, they started dancing and singing in tune with the music the female student played.

As I watched together with Yuta and Nayuki, I became entranced by their performance. My eyes widened as beautiful sparkles glistened brightly that it was almost blinding. Oops, I almost drooled at the sight of their amazing performance. 

“It's just as mom said, when you see people who are capable of performing.” I mumbled to myself while watching those colorful sparkles flash among the incoming students around the school. 

By the time students began clapping, the bell rang and snapped me out of my dream-like trance. I soon went into full panic mode the minute I checked my watch.

“Ah! I have to get going now!” Shoot! I’m going to be late for the manager department meeting! 

Upon hearing my startled behavior, Yuta and Nayuki questioned me. “Where are you going Kao-chan/Fujimaru-san?”

“Well…” I anxiously bit my bottom lip before responding. “You know about the manager’s department, right?” 

They nod at the same time. 

“So I’m going to be with the other student managers to see where I’ll be placed for the musical department. “

“Placed? What do you mean?” Ahhh, Yuta quit stalling me!!

“I-It depends on the groups that pass the musical department auditions” I continued off, feeling adrenaline rushing through as I tried to calmly explain. “Only one of the groups that are entering the musical department gets a manager. You saw the female student with the Kao Council right?”

“Oh, the girl from before?” I nodded at Nayuki’s response.

“I think she’s one of my upperclassmen for the manager department. She might be the manager that helps place new first year managers into groups that pass the audition. This is to see if they can make their group pass and enter the musical department.”

“Is that so?” Yuta beamed upon hearing my words, “Then maybe you’ll be in a group with me or Nayuki?”

Nayuki sputtered the minute Yuta made that claim. “E-Eh?!” 

“Better yet, did you even apply for the musical department? You can’t get into the department unless you pass their auditions.” 

Now it was Yuta’s turn to go, “Eh?” 

“Agh, I’m going to be late!” I tightly gripped my school bag and waved to the two boys. “I wish you two good luck if you intend to audition!” 

“B...Bye Kao-chan!” 

“S-See you Fujimaru-san!”

* * *

“Agh, if only Yuta-kun didn’t stall me!” I’m literally speed walking through the hallways. Trying to avoid bumping into several students, “Ah! There! The meeting room is over there!” 

As I increased my speed, a string of apologies started to form in my thoughts. But as I focused on what to say to the third year leading the manager department, a silver haired male student passed by me.

I didn’t have time to look at him due to my jumbled thoughts. However...he stopped walking for a brief moment. 

“Let’s see...I can open the door then apologize...no that’s not right. I should knock first then…” 

“Hm. Is that one of Arima’s underclassmen?” After registering my full appearance, the student got out his cellphone and began typing a message. “She always did say...first come, first serve.” 

**To Receiver: Arima Yuna**

**From Sender: Otori Itsuki**

**Message:** The girl that comes late to your meeting, do you mind if she’s placed in my soon-to-be star team? 

Once the message was sent, the student known as Otori Itsuki smiled upon seeing me leave for the next building.

“That’s one down.” 

I gulped in hesitation. “This is it.” 

As I knocked against the door, I started out loud. “Excuse me.” 

The minute I entered the room, a few of the students I recognized from yesterday were in there. Eugh and they’re all looking at me. 

_ ‘There goes my intention to not stand out so much.’  _

“If you were a minute later, I would have sent you back home.” 

_‘Ah!’_ It’s the female student from earlier! The one that played music for Kao Council.

“As a manager, if you and your star end up being late to a shooting, film, or dress rehearsal…your star will lose the job they work hard for.” 

“S-Sorry.” I immediately bowed, slightly ashamed of myself. She sounds strict! “I’ll be responsible for my actions from now on.” 

Worst first impression...ever.

“Now take a seat. I’ll be doing roll calls to make sure everyone is here.” 

Quickly side stepping into the room, I sighed while sliding into one of the open desks.“Hah...at least I made it in.” 

“You must have the devil’s luck, huh?” A girl’s voice sounded from my left.

“Yeah...pretty lucky.” The girl talking to me has bob-like brown hair and amber colored eyes. She gave a grin and quietly introduced herself, “My name is Satou Chika, nice to meet you.” 

“Fujimaru Kaori.” 

“Kaori, huh? I guess if you shortened it to Kao then it’d be like calling you Kao Council.” 

“Ah true.” 

Well...at least I managed to talk to one person among the manager department. In any case, after roll call the female student involved with the Kao Council finally introduced herself.

“My name is Arima Yuna. The manager for the third year group known as Kao Council. I will be covering the main topics regarding the manager department.” Turning around, Arima grabbed a marker from the edge and began writing on the white board. “You all know that the manager department coincides with the musical department, correct?” 

“Yes!” We all answered in sync.

“The reason why the manager examination takes place before the musical department is due to the auditions. Only one hundred students will be allowed to continue to the next round.”

On the board were the words: **Audition, Newcomer’s Debut Performance, and Ayanagi Festival.**

“But where does that put the twenty of you?” Placing the marker down, Arima finally faced us and continued explaining. “Well these one hundred students will be organized into twenty groups of five. Each and every one of you will be placed into a group to assist them in the Newcomer’s Debut Performance.” 

Newcomer’s Debut Performance. This is where the twenty groups will get evaluated as a team in June. They will be required to perform a song called Ayanagi Showtime. A song performed since the school’s founding generation. It’s performed in order to honor the school traditions. However only ten teams will be able to move on to the final round. 

The final round is known as the Ayanagi Festival, where half of the ten teams will be eliminated and will be taking place in October. However Arima didn’t go into full details due to the fact that we need to focus solely on the Newcomer’s Debut Performance. After all...ten of us will also be eliminated if our teams fail to pass the performance. Ah, but not kicked out of school. Arima pointed out that those who’ve failed will be enrolled back into the General Education Department. 

“Although the teams aren’t cemented due to the ongoing auditions, I will be handing out a piece of paper that states which team you’re on before the opening ceremony starts. Now I will be calling out names.” 


	3. Chapter 2: Team Otori

Once the fifteenth student left the room, Arima glanced up from the podium while holding the last five pieces of papers in her hand. Meaning only five remained, out of the twenty students, from the manager department. 

“Um, Arima-senpai?” Chika spoke up, while placing a hand against the back of her neck. “Is there a reason why we’re the last ones here?”

“Yes.” She placed the five papers down on the podium, “This is due to your team assignments being a little bit different than the others.” 

“Unlike the fifteen regular teams, there will be five special groups among the twenty. The five of you have been chosen as the managers for these five groups. The Star Teams.” 

_ ‘Star Teams?’ _ Exactly what mess did I get myself into? Better yet, how did I even end up qualifying for the Star Teams?!  _ ‘Better not be an influence from the letter of recommendation.’ _

“These Star Teams aren’t different from Regular Teams, however their advantage is having a Kao Council member as a mentor during the course of this year. The five Kao Council members will be coordinating with you while assisting your respective team members.” Picking up the five papers that detail the names of the supposed Kao Council member we’re assigned to, Arima asked. “Are there any questions?” 

I raised my hand. 

“Yes, Fujimaru.” 

“Are we allowed to meet the Kao Council member we’re assigned after the auditions?” 

“Unfortunately, the Kao Council will be busy right after the auditions due to twenty group assignments. However you will be able to formally meet them tomorrow in the meeting rooms detailed here.” 

“I see.” I actually wanted to ask her if my letter of recommendation had anything to do with my sudden assignment to a Star Team, but I guess I can get answers from the Kao Council member I’m meeting tomorrow. 

Once Arima handed me the paper, the name written on the page stated: Otori Itsuki.

* * *

Upon seeing the five students leave, Arima took out her cellphone to see the most recent text message, “Even if you say that...she’s already been assigned to your group, Otori.” 

“Outside influence or not, she earned her right to be in your team fair and square.” The sound of a twinkle echoed from her cellphone. “Though...I wish you talked to Hiragi more.” 

Putting her cellphone to sleep, the third year began cleaning up the meeting room. Leaving an open folder on top of the podium, it contained a letter signed with the name known as Torii Hidemitsu.

* * *

“Neh neh, Kao-chan!” After going through the opening ceremony and classes, Chika quickly caught up to me. “Are you dorming or commuting to Ayanagi Academy?”

“Dorming.” It’ll be easier to commute rather than taking the bus to get over here. 

“I see. I see.” Chika nodded, “I wonder if we’re going to be rooming together?” 

“Maybe. Which dorm are you heading to?” 

“Dorm One.” 

“Eh?” For real?! “W-What about room number?” 

“2XX.” 

“W...We’re really in the same room.” What is this? Are we a part of a shounen or shoujo manga? 

...Should I question it? I don’t think so.

“Hm, but you know.” Chika pondered out loud, “I don’t see why we have to dorm with the guys.” 

“It’s a coed dorm?” 

“Well you know how there’s literally only a handful of girls in this school? It’s because Ayanagi Academy started as an all boy’s school. They only started accepting girls a few years back due to the general education and manager department.” 

“I see.” That explains why there’s a low ratio of girls on campus. Maybe a good portion got rejected due to being fans of the stars here.

“Well us girls need to stick together in an environment of stinky men.” Chika grinned at me, “It’s a good thing the dorm has set rules to keep them away. But then again, if they try..” 

Chika holds out a tightened left fist. “I’ll send them straight to the ceiling.” 

“Haha.” As the both of us made our way to the first dorm, I realized I forgot to ask Yuta for his cellphone number. 

_ ‘So much for staying in contact.’ _ But I’m pretty sure Yuta will be enrolled in Ayanagi Academy. Whether Yuta passed the auditions or not, I’ll still see him at school. 

“Oh yeah, Satou-“ 

“Chika.” 

“Then Chika-chan, for dinner should we have fried rice?”

“Fried rice.”

She’s drooling, but quickly snapped out of it. “Wait, you can cook Kao-chan?” 

“I take turns cooking with my family.” Technically I rotate with mom, but dad always tried his earnest to cook whenever he had time. 

“Hah...Kao-chan’s home cooking. I’m excited.” Chika practically glowed with happiness.

* * *

After Chika and I dropped off our stuff, I quickly switched from uniform to a comfortable t-shirt and jeans. 

“Garlic, green onions, eggs, and any other meat that goes well with fried rice.” It looks like there’s rice and other vegetables in the kitchen dorm. I’m glad Chika exchanged numbers before I left. 

_ ‘Ah an update. She started cooking the rice.’ _

“Hm...let’s see what’s on sale first before any housewives fight for it.”

“Looks like pork is on sale.” That means tonight will be pork fried rice. If only I had marinated pork, then it’d be more flavorful. Oh well, we can work with what we have.

I was about to grab a pack of meat when someone called out, “Fujimaru-san?” 

“Hm?” I looked up, “Nayuki-san?” 

A smile soon formed on his lips, “W...What a coincidence, huh?” 

There’s still a bit of nervousness in his voice, but I can tell that Nayuki is being sincere. “You’re right.” 

“Are you also buying ingredients for dinner?” 

Nayuki nodded while showing his grocery basket, “I was planning to make something for Hoshitani-“

“Wait, Nayuki-san.” 

“Hm?” Once he realized I was coming closer, Nayuki kind of fumbled his words. “W-What?” 

“Is...Yuta-kun at your dorm?” 

“...Uh. Well...he’s my roommate at the dorms.” 

Finally!

I found Yuta!!!!

**_*Insert Kaori guts pose.*_ **

_ ‘What’s Fujimaru-san doing?’ _ Nayuki has absolutely no idea what she’s doing.

* * *

“So wait...we live in the same dorm?!” After we finished getting the ingredients, Nayuki told me that they’re also in the first dorm. 

“I think so...but I didn’t think Fujimaru-san would be in the same dorm as us.” 

“Good, that means we can still meet for classes.” 

“C-Classes?”

I blinked, “Is there something wrong with that?”

“N-No it’s just…” He’s hesitating again. “I’m surprised that you’re willing to go so far for Hoshitani-kun.”

“Oh.”

Nayuki’s cheeks turned pink as he mumbled his next words. 

“It’s as if you’re his girlfriend.”

But I heard it loud and clear. “...HAH?!”

“A-Am I wrong?”

I nodded vehemently to show that Nayuki was misunderstanding my intentions, “Yuta-kun and I are just childhood friends! I’m only doing this because I’m worried he might trouble you, Nayuki-san.”

“Believe it or not Yuta-kun is a deep sleeper and you need several alarms in order to wake him up. Plus you need to keep an eye on Yuta-kun when it comes to school work, because he even forgets to do it sometimes!” 

“I-I see.” Oops, I think I overloaded Nayuki. I literally had to take a step back before continuing my words. 

“Sorry, Nayuki-san. I have a tendency to get carried away when it comes to explanations, but I simply want to help you as a friend.”

“Friend?” 

“Mhm! Aren’t we, Nayuki-san?” I smiled at the blonde boy beside me. At first, he parted his lips with the intention to say something but it soon curved into a small smile. “Yes.”

_ ‘We are friends.’ _ Nayuki thought to himself while holding his bag of ingredients.

* * *

“You both entered the auditions at the last minute?!” And here I thought Yuta would’ve matured after the last three years. 

He absolutely didn’t. 

“Please tell me you were prepared for most of the tests.” Hey...why are you ignoring me while sipping tea, Yuta?!

“...Geez.” Placing the first two plates of fried rice down on Chika’s and Yuta’s trays, I begin plating the next two. “You’re always charging head first into things.” 

“Give him a break Kao-chan, your friend probably went through a lot after dealing with Kao Council evaluating them.” Chika pointed out while typing a quick message on her phone. “Facing Kao Council in general is nerve wracking.”

True. 

They even gave an amazing performance in front of everyone on the first day of school. Talk about high expectations. 

“Well...it doesn’t hurt to try something new.” Once I placed the last two plates of fried rice, Nayuki took one of the trays over to the table Chika and Yuta were at. “And so...what did you get out of it?” 

As I helped Nayuki with the other three trays, Yuta looked down at his meal. “The audition.” 

“Mhm?” I sat down with Chika sitting on my right and waited for Yuta’s answer. 

“I feel like I still have a long way to go.” 

“I see.” I placed my hands together, giving an internal thanks for the food. Then directed my attention to my childhood friend. “But at least you learned something out of it. It would’ve been a waste if you didn’t get anything from the auditions.” 

“H-Huh?” Yuta blinked in confusion, “No scolding from Kao-chan?” 

“Why do I need to scold you?” I pointed my spoon at him, “Experience is always a good thing. You’ll end up needing it in the long run.” 

“Kao-chan.” 

“But I expect you to apologize to Nayuki-san.” 

And soon Yuta face-planted on the edge of the table, as if he’s been hit by a soccer ball. 

“Don’t drag people into your affairs without knowing their circumstances.” 

“I-It’s okay, Fujimaru-san!” Nayuki spoke up while placing his cup down. “Besides if it weren’t for Hoshitani-kun, I might have regrets on not going to the auditions.” 

“Regwets?” Chika mumbled with her cheeks puffed like a squirrel’s. 

“Chika, swallow.” I deadpanned while urging Nayuki to continue. 

“You see...I have extreme stage fright. Back when I was little, I’ve always been bad whenever it comes to an actual performance.” 

Nayuki sipped some of his tea before continuing, “The harder I try, the more my knees shake. I always...always mess up when it’s an important part.” 

His grip on the cup tightened, “I thought I would be able to bring it under control before school started, so I tried some stuff at home with help from my sisters...though.” 

“Nayuki.” Yuta, at first, lowered his head. Showing clear signs of guilt, he soon grabbed a pair of chopsticks to get one of the cooked pieces of pork and then held it to Nayuki. It looked as if he was handing a peace offering. 

“Sorry, Nayuki!” Yuta blurted out loud while holding the slice of cooked meat before a slightly caught off Nayuki. “I don’t deserve this delicious piece of meat! You do!”

The blonde boy removed his hands from the cup and waved off Yuta’s apology. “N-No it’s alright Hoshitani-kun.” 

In the midst of Yuta trying to give Nayuki his apology meat, the sound of fingers snapping echoed from my left. I shifted my gaze to Chika, who somehow managed to polish off a plate of fried rice I gave her. “But it’s not like you guys failed yet right?”

“Oh...right!” Yuta mumbled as a grin slowly tugged right on his face. 

“Yeah.” I nodded in response while eating some of the salad Nayuki prepared. “The results won’t be announced until tomorrow. So it’s not official yet.” 

“Yeah!” Yuta’s grin began to grow as he dropped the piece of meat onto Nayuki’s portion of fried rice. “And even if we don’t make it, let’s all have a pity party!” 

Once I swallowed the last bits of the salad I had, I glanced up and gave Yuta a smirk. “You’re paying then.” 

An expression of despair strikes down on Yuta’s cheerful parade, “Ehhhhh?!” 

The sounds of our laughter filled the common room. The four of us chatted amongst ourselves, while getting to know each other. However...we were all completely unaware of what was going to take place tomorrow.

* * *

“Is this really the right place?” I stared hard at the paper upperclassmen Arima had given me, making sure I wasn’t wrong. “This room is far away from the Kao Council room.” 

In fact, I think Chika and the other star team managers made their way towards the Kao Council room. I guess all of the Kao Council members chose that place as the designated meeting room...but why am I here?

_ ‘Shouldn’t it be in the Kao Council room?’ _ It made me feel a bit uneasy. What if this Kao Council member is eccentric? 

_ ‘...wasn’t there only four Kao Council members performing on the first day of school?’ _

I mean...I was a bit surprised when Arima mentioned five star teams. _ ‘So why am I assigned to the fifth unknown Kao Council member?’  _

There were so many questions on my mind, but...I can’t keep this person, Otori Itsuki, waiting. I won’t know who he is by just standing outside the meeting room. 

Tucking the paper into my pocket, I raised my right hand to knock on the door. “Excuse me.” 

“You may enter.” Uwah. His voice is deep too! 

_ ‘Okay, deep breaths Kaori. Deep breaths!’ _ Upon turning the knob, I braced myself for the reveal of Otori Itsuki. 

Only to see a young man getting up from the desk, holding a packet of paper. The young man had white wavy hair that was tied up with a red ribbon and into a ponytail. 

_ ‘Ah there's a slight purple on the tips of his hair.’ _ His bangs were long, but it was parted to the left. Close enough to cover his left eye. 

_ ‘If it weren’t for the purple tips on his hair, I would’ve almost described him as an albino.’ _

Once his dark red eyes landed on me, I slightly bowed to introduce myself. “Good morning, senpai. My name is Fujimaru Kaori and it’s nice meeting you.” 

“Nice to meet you too, Fujimaru. Though there’s no need to be so stiff and formal around me.” Straightening my back, I can see that he was wearing the designated Kao Council blazer. The major proof of being a part of the Kao Council. 

“My name is Otori Itsuki and I look forward to working together with you and the five boys in my team.” 

_ ‘He sounds nice.’  _ Compared to Hiragi Tsubasa, the Kao Council president, he gives off a relaxed presence. 

“And although this is our first meeting, can I ask you to do something for me?”

“Yes?” 

Otori hands me the packet of paper or rather it looks like a script. 

_ ‘Ayanagi Academy Murder Case Act 4?’  _ Is he planning to use this for the first day of practice? 

“Can you make four more copies of the same script? The copier machine is in the room on the right of the Kao Council room.” 

“Of course, Otori-senpai.” 

“And when you’re finished, just rendezvous with me at the practice hall stated on the paper Arima gave you.” 

“Okay!” 

“Okay, that’s four copies fresh and out of the copier machine.” Though...I wonder why he’s using a murder case script for the first day? 

_ ‘Maybe it has something to do with the students he picked for his star team.’ _ It’s probably a test to see how well their acting abilities are. 

A lot can be shown in a person when they’re forced to act right off the bat. It can show how much of an amateur actor is depending on the role they’re given. 

After stapling each script together, I started making my way out the door while clutching the scripts close. 

“LA LA LA LA!” Suddenly a boy the same age as me, started singing out loud while spinning in circles down the hallway. It was hard to tell what he looked like because of the high speed spinning, but the boy had dark green hair.

“Inu-mi-ne Sei-shi-ro, reporting for duuuuuuuuty~!” Literally, the next thing I saw, the boy did a giant ballerina leap while opening the door and entering the Kao Council room. 

“H-Huh?” What exactly did I just see? 

_ ‘I don’t think that guy is in my team for sure.’ _ He did a ballerina leap right into the Kao Council meeting room.  _ ‘That guy must be a piece of work.’ _

If Chika ends up being the manager for his team, I wish her good luck in dealing with him. 

“Ack! This isn’t the time to be standing around dazed!” I need to get to the practice hall!

By the time I ran and reached the practice hall, I literally slammed the door open. “S-Sorry for the delay, Otori-sen…”

My words fell.

My throat dried. 

And then my eyes widened. 

I think I almost dropped the scripts I was holding too.

But nothing could hold back the shock I received from seeing the six people standing in the practice hall. Correction, I was mainly shocked at only two of them. 

“...Y-Yuta-kun and Nayuki-san.” They’re members of Team Otori?! 

“Kao-chan/Fujimaru-san?!”

I guess...fate demanded that the three of us be in this together. 


	4. Chapter 3: Cat (Part 1)

“Ah you finally made it, Fujimaru.” Snapping out of my shock, I quickly apologized to Otori while giving a slight bow for my tardiness. “Sorry for being late, Otori-senpai.” 

If only I didn’t get caught off guard by that ballet dancing guy. 

“It’s fine.” Otori waved my apology off while turning to wink at the five boys standing on his right. “Besides we’re just doing introductions, right boys?” 

The only one that gave a response was Yuta, but it sounded a bit on edge compared to his usual cheery attitude. Plus it looks like he’s the only one still in uniform while everyone else is in training clothes. “Yeah.”

 _‘Did something happen before I arrived?’_ As I straightened myself, I kept that thought in the back of my mind, the boys started introducing themselves one by one. 

“I’m Hoshitani Yuta.” Yuta gave a slight but stiff bow. “I look forward to working with everyone.” 

Next was Nayuki. 

“I’m Nayuki Toru.” With slightly reddened cheeks, Nayuki gave a similar bow like Yuta. 

Following Nayuki was the blue haired boy. 

_‘Ah, I think that guy is in my general education class.’_

“Tsukigami Kaito. Nice to meet you.” 

_‘Tsukigami?’_ I never caught his last name before, but I think he’s one of the guys that’s being talked about around students. Something about having a famous older brother, but I didn’t listen to it. 

Why?

I dislike rumors in general and...I didn’t like the way students were saying it. It sounded as if they were judging him. 

But enough about rumors, the boy next to Tsukigami began introducing himself. 

“Kuga Shuu.” Ah! He’s also in the same class as Tsukigami and I!

The boy that was sleeping face first on his desk. The homeroom teacher almost got mad at him for sleeping during roll call.

 _‘To think I already know at least four out of the five members of Team Otori.’_ Though I haven’t really talked to Kuga and Tsukigami, I can’t really count it as knowing. 

Anyway...the last one, the red-head with an arrogant look on his face, bluntly stated his name out loud. “Tengenji Kakeru.”

 _‘Tengenji.’_ I repeated his last name like a seance, until the sound of a gong echoed in my head. _‘Oh!’_

He’s the young talented kabuki actor that’s been mentioned among the gossiping girls at my middle school! 

_‘The rumored Tengenji Kakeru-sama.’_ To think a big talent like him is in this school. My mom would’ve scouted him on the spot for Peacock if she were here.Thankfully she wasn’t. _‘He really does look arrogant though.’_

Otori then directed a hand towards me. “And last but not least, our dear manager.”

“Fujimaru Kaori.” I gave a small bow, “I look forward to working together with everyone.” 

With a simple clap of his hands, Otori proceeded onto his next words. “Okay. You guys are a team starting from today.” 

“In order to survive this year, the five of you have to cooperate and work hard.”

Yuta blinked, repeating one of the words Otori sstated. “Survive?”

“Just because you were selected in these auditions, doesn’t mean you’re in the musical department.” 

“Huh? It doesn’t?”

_‘...Yuta-kun, did you not read the paperwork regarding the musical department at all?’_

I’m this close to shaking Yuta, but I can’t blame him for asking a lot of questions. _‘Yuta-kun is still new to this.’_

Basically most of what Arima said the day before is being restated by Otori, but from the viewpoint of potential candidates involved in the musical department. 

Passing the auditions means nothing. It is simply the first round of gathering candidates for the musical department. 

For the entirety of the first year, everyone in Team Otori will be competing against the other nineteen teams to get into the musical department. 

The second round will be the Newcomers’ Debut Performance and then ten teams will be eliminated. 

The final round, which Otori went into more detail compared to Arima, will take place on stage during the Ayanagi Festival. Five teams will be eliminated, leaving only five teams left. 

Meaning...only twenty five students will be officially enrolled in the musical department next year together with five students from the manager department. 

_‘Literally screams survival of the fittest.’_

“Also this should be obvious, but just because you’re on a Star Team doesn’t mean you get special treatment.” Oh good way to lay it out on the upperclassmen! “The only perks you have is that you can learn from us, the Kao Council, as well as have assistance from your designated Team Manager.”

“But isn’t that a pretty big advantage?” Yuta isn’t wrong though. The Kao Council has knowledge on what takes place during these performances. They’re not upperclassmen for nothing. 

However…

“That depends on you all.” Otori pointed out loud and clear. Despite being small words, they were enough to embed right into our minds. 

“Well, why don’t we get started?” Otori shifted his gaze over to me, “Fujimaru, can you hand them the scripts?”

“Yes.”

* * *

“Ayanagi Academy Murder Case?” Yuta, now dressed in practice clothes, read the title of the script out loud. 

In the meantime, I placed two chairs in front of the stage while Otori continued to explain the premise of the script to the five. 

“That script contains the climax of the story.” According to Otori, it’s about the principal of Ayanagi Academy getting killed. A detective gathers up four suspects, the sons of the principal, and is in pursuit of the culprit. 

The serious oldest son is being played by Tsukigami. He had a fight with their father in regards to running the school. 

The quiet second son is being played by Kuga. He’s unhappy with their father due to the passing of their mother. 

The prodigal third son is being played by Tengenji. He was almost disinherited by their father.

The shy fourth son is being played by Nayuki. He always wanted their father to acknowledge him.

Last but not least, Yuta is the detective chasing after the four of them. 

_‘Is it just me or are the roles matching their personalities?’_ Though I know little about Tsukigami and Kuga, the roles given to Nayuki and Tengenji seem spot on. As I watch Yuta give off a sparkling smile, I can already get a sense of what he’s thinking right now. 

_‘Detective is the lead role, right?! I wonder if he has high expectations of me! Yuta-kun, I’m this close to getting up on the stage and shaking you.’_

“Now, shall we begin?” 

Upon hearing Otori’s words, Nayuki let out a surprised stutter. “W-Without a read-through?”

“It’ll be easier to determine your abilities that way.” And without further ado, Otori clapped his hands signalling the beginning of the act. “Ayanagi Academy Murder Case, start!” 

At that moment, I changed the lights to focus on the stage before returning to sit next to Otori but I didn’t forget the words he said quietly to me. “Even though I’m just their coach, I want you to keep your eyes peeled on their abilities as actors.” 

“Eh?” 

_‘Abilities as actors?’_ His words surprised me. Even though Otori was Yuta and the other’s coach, he still included me in the mix. Maybe it's because I don’t have Arima there to watch over my progress as a manager. Taking his words to heart, I set my attention towards the five boys up on stage. 

“Wasn’t father’s death ruled as an accident?!” The first one to start off the scene was none other than Tsukigami, you can tell he was going off the script by the look on his eyes. However there was a tone in his voice, reflecting the image of a serious young man. 

“I don’t have time for this!” Even though Tengenji’s eyes briefly glanced at the pages of the script, he was able to show an impatient expression towards Yuta. Whereas Nayuki continued the flow of the story, asking. “What did you gather us here for?” 

Despite having only three people speak up, you can already see what kind of character the actor displayed. 

_‘Kuga-san didn’t say anything yet.’_ But Kuga’s role was the second quiet son, so he’s not far off from his characterization. 

My eyes shifted from the four boys and focused on Yuta. _‘Now, what’s Yuta-kun planning to say in return?’_

“I know who's the culprit.” The four boys stiffened in response, exhibiting signs of shock as Yuta dramatically pointed a finger before all of them. “The culprit...is among one of you!” 

A giant gong resounded in my head as I deadpanned at the scene before me. _‘Y-You’ve got to be kidding me!’_

 _‘Don’t tell me he thought that was perfect!’_ No doubt about it, he’s wearing a smile that says he pulled it off! 

I glanced over to the four boys on the right. Kuga was the only one wearing an unreadable expression, but the other three were quite obvious. Following up with Yuta’s amatuer acting is going to be hard for them. 

Even without turning to look, I saw Otori’s shoulders move and gave off a soft laugh upon seeing Yuta’s acting. _‘I-Is it too late to deny that I know Yuta-kun?’_

No it’s already too late. They all heard me call Yuta by his first name. 

The four boys pressed onwards, continuing the scene irregardless of Yuta’s terrible acting skills. “T-That’s cruel. There’s no way we would kill father.” 

Nayuki stuttered a bit, but at least he returned the flow of the scene back to where it was. While keeping a hand on his hip, Tengenji proceeded to demand Yuta the amateur detective. “Say it straight! Who’s the culprit?!” 

After removing his eyes from the script, Tsukigami questioned Yuta. “You have proof, right?” 

Ah good point, Tsukigami! 

_‘Though they’re all trying their best with the script’s assistance, if Tsukigami memorizes the lines then his eyes wouldn’t trail back at it.’_ He could probably give a better performance, the same goes for Nayuki and Tengenji. Though in Nayuki’s case, he may need to work on slowly easing his stage fright. 

_‘But he’s doing good without the read through.’_

“Of course I have proof.” A frown was tugging on my lips. _‘I have a slight bad feeling about Yuta-kun’s words.’_

“Then who are you saying did it?!” But I will admit, Tengenji and Tsukigami are carrying the most lines in this scene for sure. “Who is it? Please Tell us, detective.” 

They both seem ready to corner Yuta for a response. 

In turn the aforementioned boy complied with their questions, “Very well. The culprit is-” 

When everyone turned to the next page, all of their eyes widened in shock of what happened next. 

_‘Huh?’_

_‘Was there something wrong with the scripts?’_ I didn’t copy the scripts wrong. I remember removing the staple to copy the sheets, but I didn’t see anything wrong. _‘Unless.’_

I glanced over to Otori. There was a clear smile on his face, meaning the scripts are per his plan. 

_‘Oh boy.’_ What kind of coach did I get myself involved with? 

“U-Um...this is…” Nayuki shifted his gaze over to us, in return Otori straightened himself to reply. “Continue.” 

“The curtain is still up.” 

“Don’t tell me we’re doing improv from day one?”

“You’re quick to understand.” Otori smiled back while answering Tsukigami’s question at the same time. 

_‘Eh?!’_ Wait...that means the scripts they’re using are not complete scripts?! _‘Otori-senpai, intends to evaluate them through improvisation?’_

 _‘I worry.’_ I can already feel my stomach churn with anxiety as I watch Yuta ask about the meaning of improv among the others. 

“I’m leaving the rest of this to you all.” I am severely worried about the possible outcome to this performance. Listening to Otori just increased my anxiety even more. “I would like you to bring this story to a proper ending.” 

I can even tell by Nayuki’s expression. Even he knows. 

_‘Yuta-kun is an amateur when it comes to acting or basically anything in regards to the major focuses shown in the musical department.’_

But the current look on Yuta’s face. 

_‘He looks totally confident.’_ I want to face palm. 

“Okay, places!” As the others went to leave their scripts at the table, I noticed Kuga heading over to Yuta while Otori instructed everyone out loud. “Start from the oldest brother’s line at the end of the fourth page and keep going.” 

_‘Huh? Why is Kuga-san giving Yuta-kun a piece of paper?’_ No words were exchanged between them, but I feel like Kuga might’ve helped Yuta in that small moment. 

“Now, boys! Let’s have fun with this!” With another clap of his hands, Otori announced the continuation of this act. 

Repeating the last line he mentioned earlier, Tsukigami focused his attention on Yuta. Only this time, without script. “Who is it? Please tell us, detective.” 

_‘Hm.’_ Tsukigami was able to pick up on which line Otori meant, which shows he’s attentive to his surroundings. Unlike a certain fool standing up on stage.

“Very well. The culprit is...the culprit is…the culprit is-” 

_‘He can’t decide on a culprit.’_ Come on Yuta! Kuga gave you a lifeline! 

As I internally prayed for Yuta to realize the lifeline, a sudden shout erupted from Nayuki in the midst of Yuta’s indecisive nature. “Detective, please stop!” 

Uwah! Nayuki shouted!

_‘That surprised me! I didn’t think Nayuki would be the one to speak up.’_

Suddenly Nayuki went down on his knees and lowered his head, the next thing I knew...Nayuki began the water works. Tearful acting indeed. “Who...who killed father?”

Shaking his head, as if in denial of learning the truth, Nayuki sobbed. “I don’t want to know!” 

_‘Nayuki’s acting was surprising, but how’s Yuta going to respond to that.’_ It seems hard to follow up. 

The next thing I knew, Tsukigami spoke up. “Wait a minute.”

“I would like you to tell us how you can even call it a murder in the first place!” Ah! That’s a good idea to change the flow of the scene. As the oldest and serious son, he’s doubting the detective’s insight of whether their father really was murdered. 

“That’s right, you said earlier that you had proof, didn’t you?” Tengenji connected his words with Tsukigami. Alright. The flow of the scene is back to it’s normal track, but it looks like Yuta is bound to go back to square one. 

“T-The proof is!” Yuta’s voice sounded strained. 

_‘Agh...someone please help this fool finish the scene properly.’_

The next thing I knew, Kuga started heading over to the chair between the coffee table, holding Tsukigami’s juice, and the upright black piano. He calmly sat down with his arms relaxed on the armrests. In turn, everyone had their attention on the silent Kuga. 

“Why are you always like that?!” Tengenji lashed out, frustration showing in his eyes. Though, I wonder if he’s actually pissed that Kuga isn’t saying a single word. “Pretending that you don’t see anything that’s going on within the family!” 

“Don’t you have a shred of feeling for this family?!” Upon hearing Tsukigami as well as Tengenji’s implied lines of “say something moron”, Kuga closed his eyes. As if pretending to not hear a single word from them. 

“Your brothers are under suspicion, and you-” Before Tengenji could continue his improv, Yuta finally spoke up. 

“Please wait!” My eyes trailed back over to Yuta, who was now holding the folded piece of paper that he received from Kuga, in his left hand. “This is the proof!” 

It was in that small moment, I thought I saw Yuta gleam for a bit. 

_‘Huh?’_ Is there something in my eyes? ‘Maybe it’s the stage lights?’ 

I don’t know what it is, but...for some reason Yuta seemed to gleam for a brief moment as he stated what seemed to be the lines of a revelation.

“This is what your father left with his last strength...his dying message!” 

Lines that foretold the ending of this murder case. 

“The name of the culprit is written here.” Yuta takes one step forward, showing that he’s ready to point the finger at the true culprit. “And it is....!”

“Second son! It’s you!”

In response to Yuta’s reveal, Kuga opened his eyes as a small smile formed on his lips. 

Even though Kuga hardly said a word throughout the act, his body language showed the image of a culprit that’s been clearly foiled by the detective. 

And to make it believable, Kuga suddenly covered his smile with his left hand and a violent cough erupted from behind it. Not only that...the color of a deep red liquid escaped from his covered hand. 

_‘Red...liquid. It almost looks like...blood?!’_

As if dizzy from the sudden loss of blood, Kuga tried to stand up and walk but his stance wasn’t proper. Leading the boy to fall face forward and collapse onto the solid wooden floorboards of the stage. 

_‘No way...is that fake blood?’_ When in the world did Kuga have time to prepare fake blood?!

“P-Poison?!” Eh?! Tsukigami is improvising that Kuga poisoned himself?! 

Soon Yuta ran over to the collapsed Kuga and began shaking him in the process, “Idiot! Killing your father won’t make your mother happy!” 

“Don’t you die! Don’t die!!!!” 

Suddenly the sense of rush was stopped by the sound of a hand clap, the next thing I knew was seeing Otori stand up and telling the five boys up on stage. “Okay, stop!” 

“Well, that was pretty good for your first time.” There was still an unreadable smile on his face but it seems like they satisfied Otori with the improvised ending, “So, that’s enough for today.” 

In the meantime, I quickly switched the lights back on and hurried up on stage to hand a handkerchief to Kuga. “Um, here.” 

He still had fake blood on his mouth. With a nod, Kuga accepted it and wiped off what remained. 

To tell the truth, I’m not sure on whether to call that act good yet. Sure Yuta is an amateur, but he needed the others to get to the ending of the act. So I really can’t say anything to them in the meantime. 

Kuga handed it back, muttering a quiet sorry to me for messing up my handkerchief. I waved him off, saying it was nothing.

“Kuga, was it?” Soon Yuta turned towards the silent boy beside me and held out the folded piece of paper from earlier. “Thanks for this.” 

Upon seeing Kuga, receiving the piece of paper back, Tsukigami walked up to him and said. “Giving him a note like that won’t help in the long run, you know.” 

In response to that, Kuga suddenly revealed a familiar juice bottle. 

_‘Tsukigami-san’s juice?’_

“Sorry I took some.” Oh! So he used Tsukigami’s juice to create fake blood in that rushed moment! 

_‘But wait, when did he have time to take some?’_ Kuga, despite being silent, is surprisingly fast. 

Tsukigami waved it off, “Sure.” 

Letting Kuga take the juice. _‘Wait…’_

_‘Isn’t that…”_

_‘INDIRECT KISS?!’_ Holy! I can’t believe this happened while I wasn’t looking! Ahhhhh! I should’ve watched Kuga more closely up on stage if I knew he was going to do that!

 _‘W-Wait I’m still in manager mode!’_ Gotta calm down the fangirl instincts otherwise I’ll forget to get their contacts. 

“Ah hold on, Tsukigami-san, Kuga- san, and Tengenji-san!”

* * *

**_Chika’s POV_ **

* * *

“I’m...back.” The next thing I knew, my body collapsed right onto the bottom bunk bed in the room. “Kao-chan.” 

“Welcome back or rather,” Kaori shifted from her chair, “what happened to you?” 

“My team exhausted me.” 

“Oh boy.” 

I shifted around and faced Kaori, giving her a big frown. “One of them literally yeeted into the meeting room like a ballerina.” 

“Ballerina?” Kaori held a look of confusion at first and placed a fist against her open left palm. “Ah the dancing guy by the Kao Council room.” 

“You saw him?” Kaori nodded in response. 

“Inumine Seishiro, right?”

“Yup that’s him alright.” I swear, if he didn’t have insane dancing skills. I would’ve labelled him a complete idiot. “And he’s not the only headache.” 

“Another is an annoying little prick that puts on a cute image, but is actually a little devil in disguise. Then one of them had the gall to flirt with me.” 

Ugawa Akira. Despite having a smaller build and an image of cuteness, the words that come out of his mouth are nothing but insults. 

Meanwhile the flirter, Toraishi Izumi, has a terrible disease. It’s called womanizing. 

I almost puked when he called me a kitten instead of Manager. The flirting reminded me of a certain nasty flirter I knew back in middle school.

“Oof.” Kaori winced. Sounds like she had her fair share of unnecessary flirtations as well. “Did you set him straight?” 

“I told him, right after the Kao Council mentor left, that I’m not interested and have a boyfriend back in Miyagi Prefecture.” 

“He stopped right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“What about the other two members in your team?” 

“They’re saints, Kao-chan. Literal saints.” 

Tatsumi Rui and Sawatari Eigo. If I had to nickname them individually, Tatsumi would be considered mom while Sawatari is dad. The parents of this group while I consider myself the exhausted aunt. They were the two leading pinnacles that make up my team. Inumine the wild dog. Toraishi, a sickly child with a disease called womanizing. Then there’s a sharp tongued brat, Ugawa. 

All of us make the star team known as...

Team Hiragi. 

The group was mentored by the Kao Council Leader.

Hiragi Tsubasa. 

A serious and seemingly strict young man. However he doesn’t slack in advising the five members of my team. He’s quite punctual when it comes to time, even to the point of reminding me to arrive at practice and meetings on time. 

In fact, he let Inumine off with a warning to not be late for practice next time. 

Though...today’s events didn’t give me much of an impression of Hiragi Tsubasa since it was the first day.

But man.

Those three are going to be a pain in the butt to keep an eye on if I don’t have Tatsumi and Sawatari with me. 

“What about you, Kao-chan? Are there any jerks or saints in your team?” 

“Well one of them might be a jerk, but the rest are seemingly okay. I mean there’s Nayuki-san and Yuta-kun.”

“Ohhh! Na-kun and Hoshi-kun are with you?!” I abruptly sat up, the exhaustion I received earlier left the instant I heard the names of those two guys. “It’s like you three were fated to be in the same team, huh?”

“That’s kind of pushing it a little much, Chika-chan.” Kaori placed her pencil down, while explaining a little more about her team. “The jerk though is the supposed young noble of the kabuki world.”

“The one everyone in school talks about? Tengenji Kakeru?” 

Kaori nodded with a sad smile, “If my mom learned about Tengenji-san’s attitude, she’d have a lot of words to say in front of him.” 

“...Hm.” Wait a second, I feel like I heard something from Ugawa earlier about the team Tengenji was on. “Wait Kao-chan, what’s the name of your Kao Council mentor?”

“Otori Itsuki.” She tilted her head in response to my question, “Why?”

“No, I was just curious.” 

Rather, I remember what Ugawa was saying about Team Otori in particular. An ugly rumor. 

He was calling them a motley bunch. A group of students that supposedly failed the auditions due to their mishaps, but...they were given a chance to end up in a star team by the eccentric fifth Kao Council member. 

Otori Itsuki. 

Then that means…

 _‘Kao-chan’s group is tied into a web of ugly rumors.’_ I hope nothing bad happens later on.

* * *

**_Kaori’s POV_ **

* * *

The next day, I prepared extra sandwiches for Kuga and Tsukigami. “I hope these can make up for the trouble they had to go through yesterday.” 

Especially Kuga. He helped Yuta a lot yesterday.

“Time to wrap these up and do morning meditation before class.” Got to keep a clear focus each day. While leaving the dorm kitchen, I see Kuga returning in casual clothes while holding a motorcycle helmet. 

“Kuga-san.” Surprised by his sudden appearance, I quickly greeted the boy. “G-Good morning.” 

He gives a small nod and proceeds to enter the dorms. 

_‘Ah, wait, I gotta give this to him.’_

“Kuga-san.” 

“Hm.” 

“I have something for you.” I hold out the container of sandwiches meant for Kuga. “This is an apology for yesterday’s events. I’m sorry for the trouble Yuta-kun put you guys through.” 

I give a slight bow before Kuga. 

“Although he’s an amateur, I hope that you and the others will give him another chance.” 

“...Manager.”

“Hm?” 

_‘Is he referring to me?’_ I straightened myself to see Kuga. _‘Though I’m a little surprised that he’s not calling me by name.’_

“I may be his teammate and it may seem like I’m helping him in your viewpoint, but...honestly. Hoshitani is-”

“Yuta-kun is?” 

Kuga paused and then decided to not continue his words about Yuta, “no nevermind.” 

The quiet boy placed a hand on top of my head, lightly patting my hair, almost resembling the antics of a certain aloof uncle I know. “But...thank you, manager. I’ll return the container later.” 

_‘Woah...that's the first time I heard Kuga-san say more than a few words.’_ As I watched him pass by me, heading for the male side of the dormitory. _‘But I’m glad Kuga-san accepted the sandwiches.’_

Though...What was Kuga doing so early in the morning? 

_‘I guess there’s still some things I don’t know much about this group besides Nayuki-san and Yuta-kun.’_ It would be best to try and get along with Tsukigami and Kuga since they’re in my class.

Though...Tengenji seems hard to approach. He looks like the type to say _‘peasants are beneath me, don’t even try to talk to me’._

“...Breaking the ice with Tengenji-san is difficult.” I’ll focus on the two in my class for now. 

“Who are you calling difficult?” 

“BWAH?!” I literally jumped while clutching the container filled with sandwiches close by. “T...Tengenji-san?!” 

Holy. 

“A-Are you a ninja, Tengenji-san?”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Tengenji was already dressed in uniform, but it looks like he was heading towards the dorm cafeteria. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for class, Manager?”

“I still have time.” For now, let’s escape before Tengenji has anything else to say to me. “So I’ll see you later Ten-”

“Manager.”

“Yes?” Suddenly a chilling glare is sent my way, thankfully I wasn’t climbing the steps yet. If I was, I probably would’ve stumbled on the first step. 

“Don’t share my number with anyone else.”

“Y-Yes.” It was hard to keep a smile. I felt stiff. I didn’t know whether to shake Tengenji for assuming that I might share his number or yell at him for thinking such. 

So I decided to plaster a fake smile on my face. 

“As long as you understand what it means to have the young noble of the kabuki world’s number.” As I watched Tengenji enter the cafeteria, my fake smile twitched. 

_‘...I want to shake him so badly.’_

_‘He angers me.’_

“Ugh.” Just thinking about what happened this morning leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. _‘Tengenji-san is out of the question in terms of getting along.’_

With the attitude Tengenji has right now, I don’t think I can ever get along with him. 

“No. No. No.” Gotta stop thinking about people that make my skin crawl and just focus on my current goal. Getting along with Kuga and Tsukigami. 

Kuga already got my sandwiches, so now’s the time for Tsukigami. 

Quickly getting out of the desk, I made my way through the hallways. Asking a few students near the classroom, I followed the supposed path to Tsukigami. By the time I reached the outdoor corridor, I saw Tsukigami with his back before me.

“Tsu-” But I couldn’t call out to him.

Why?

Up ahead was Kuga talking to a boy, with short black hair that had a few red highlights, on the left side of the outdoor hallway. 

_‘Huh? Who’s Kuga-san talking to?’_ Without thinking, I immediately take cover to the right. Hiding among the greenery growing around the outdoor hallway. _‘I-It might be awkward if I kept standing behind Tsukigami-san.’_

“Your woman wears too much perfume.” I hear Kuga say out loud. “Make her bring her own helmet.”

 _‘Helmet?’_ Now that I think about it, Kuga was holding a motorcycle helmet this morning. _‘Does that mean he owns a motorcycle?’_

“Shu, this is your precious motorcycle, right?” The guy, that’s next to Kuga, sounded like he was trying to give advice. And by advice… “Don’t just use it to take you to and from work. Put a girl on it once in a while, you workaholic boy.” 

It's advice telling Kuga to go out on a date. Kuga didn’t respond back, so I guess he has no intention of following that person’s advice.Good Kuga, I have a better opinion of you when it comes to respecting girls. ‘But...that means he was working on a part time job early this morning.’

Keeping that in mind, I continued to secretly listen in on their conversation while hiding from Tsukigami and them. 

“Well? How is it, being on the loser Star Team?” I blinked the minute I heard those words. 

_‘What?’_ What does he mean by that? _‘Loser Star Team?’_

My grip tightened around the container of sandwiches, as I focused solely on the greenery before me.

“With your abilities, I thought you’d be on the same team as me.” Listening to every word the guy said. “There are rumors, you know, about how Otori gathered guys who should’ve failed.”

 _‘Failed?’_ I don’t get it. Why are these rumors treating this newly made star team like a pile of junk? On what basis does Yuta and the others deserve to be called a loser star team?

My lips pressed together as frustration began to sink in. _‘What the hell?’_

What right does anyone have to judge people they barely even know? 

“I see.” I thought Kuga was going to say something and correct his friend, but… “No wonder it’s full of weird people.” 

He didn’t deny or agree to that person’s words.

Although it was a neutral response, a part of me wished Kuga denied that boy’s words. 

Leading me to lower my gaze even more, focusing solely on the container I was holding. 

_‘...I guess Kuga-san doesn’t see us more than teammates.’_ As I was thinking this, Tsukigami soon spoke up to Kuga. 

“That’s unexpected.” Oh shoot! I completely forgot that Tsukigami was here too! “I didn’t think you had friends.” 

“He’s on the star team of Hiragi, the head of the Kao Council.” A faint sound of surprise escaped from Tsukigami, as if he wasn’t expecting that kind of answer. 

If I was standing, I would’ve seen Kuga noticing Tsukigami’s small gasp. “Does it bother you?”

“Not really.” With quick steps, Tsukigami began walking past Kuga. Pretending to ignore what the normally silent boy had said. 

Once Tsukigami’s steps went ahead, I finally was able to relax and have room to breathe. “He’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?”

“EGYAAAA?!”

Not Kuga that’s for sure. I let my guard down for a moment’s notice. _‘First Tengenji-san and now Kuga-san?’_ I need to work on blending in with the background next time. 

“G-Good morning, Kuga-san.” I really wasn’t expecting you to see me here. “Do you need something from me?”

“Rather...what are you doing sitting on the ground, Manager?”

“Haha...it’s a long story.” I tried to laugh it off while quickly getting up and clutching the sandwich container. “I.” 

Was following after Tsukigami and suddenly ended up walking in on your conversation with someone else. 

LIKE I CAN SAY THAT TO HIM!

_‘J-Just cut out the detail of listening to him.’_

“I was trying to find Tsukigami-san and hand him these sandwiches, but.” A sad smile slowly formed on my face. “It looks like he doesn’t have any intention of getting along.” 

“...it’s too bad. I really wanted him to try these sandwiches I made.” I thought Tsukigami wouldn’t be as much of a jerk like Tengenji, but with his current attitude...I don’t think I should do more than what is needed. _‘I might end up overstepping his boundaries.’_

“Anyway, I’ll see you in class Ku-” Before I could head back to class, Kuga called out to me. 

“Manager.” I turned to face my classmate, stopping in my tracks while wondering what he’s going to say to me. 

“Yes?” 

“Can I eat them?” 

“Huh?” What did he just say?

“Can I eat them?” Kuga repeated himself while placing a hand on the back of his head, “I forgot to get something for lunch before leaving the dorms.”

And soon...that feeling of displease lifted from my shoulders, happy that Kuga was willing to take more sandwiches. 

But for some reason. 

I couldn’t give him a true smile. 

Maybe it's because of what he said earlier. It was already weighing on my mind. 

“Sure.” As I opened the container of sandwiches, I decided to ask Kuga about this morning. I can’t outright ask him about working part time. _‘He’ll find out I was listening in on their conversation!’_

“Kuga-san, what exactly were you doing early this morning?”

“Part time job.” He mumbled after biting into one of the sandwiches. “It’s to help pay for school tuition.” 

“Oh!” That makes sense. Ayanagi Academy is a prestigious private school meant for music. Even if you manage to pass the entrance exams, you still need to pay the tuition for dorming and textbooks. “I see.” 

I shouldn’t press on his family matters if he’s working to pay for tuition, but I should ask him _that_ topic. 

“Then, can you tell me your part time job schedule ahead of time?” 

After swallowing the remains of the first sandwich, Kuga mumbled. “Why?”

“In case something happens, I can message you ahead of time if there’s any changes in the class or if something is up then I can tell Otori-senpai about it beforehand.” 

“Hm. That would be helpful.” While Kuga takes another sandwich, he pauses before biting into it. “By the way.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not planning to eat, manager? Class is going to start soon.”

“O-Oh right!” In a haste, I grabbed one of the sandwiches from the container and began munching. Unknown to my view, Kuga gave a small smile as he watched me panic a little about class. 

Even though the sandwich he was holding was intended for Tsukigami, Kuga can tell that I earnestly made an effort to try and get along with our classmate. 

_‘Too bad, Tsukigami.’_ Kuga apologized to the serious blue haired member of their group while biting into the sandwich. _‘This tuna sandwich is mine now.’_

* * *

**Chika’s POV**

* * *

“Heeeey, Satou!” 

Geh, why’s the flirt of my group here? 

“Let me eat in peace, Toraishi.” I’m going to enjoy eating the sandwiches Kaori kindly left for me and you’re not going to ruin it. 

“Man, you gotta chill sometimes Satou.” I grimaced, watching the boy steal one of the open chairs to sit in front of me. “Besides we’re classmates and teammates.”

 _‘I didn’t beg to be put in the same class as you, Inumine, and Ugawa.’_ Rather it feels like god is punishing me by placing me in the same class with the three dunderheads of my group. _‘At least my sanity got spared with Tatsumi and Sawatari nearby.’_

Sitting on my right was Tatsumi and Sawatari, discussing what's next on the agenda in regards to lessons with Hiragi.

Meanwhile Inumine is dancing around the back of the classroom with some yakisoba bread while singing a medley about how delicious it was. Don’t ask me about the lyrics, I don’t understand a single clue of what he’s said. 

At the same time, Ugawa is obediently listening to the mom and dad of our group in regards to the following lesson. 

“Besides, I heard from Kitahara’s friend that you’re rooming with the supposed Team Otori’s manager.”

 _‘Nanjo, that bastard!’_ Just because I answered your question about the identity of Team Otori’s manager doesn’t mean you’re allowed to tell Toraishi! 

Before I could get a chance to glare holes at the laughing gray haired boy from across the room, I felt a poke to my right cheek.

“Oiii, earth to Satou.”

“Ugh.” Lightly slapping Toraishi’s hand away from my face, I sent him a stern look in return. “If it’s about my roommate, then you’re only going to meet her during the discussion about Ayanagi Showtime.”

“Heeeh, what’s this? Does Satou not want me to date her precious roommate?”

“Of course, Toraishi. You don’t deserve her or the, “ I quickly drag the sandwich container close, “Sandwiches she made!”

“Wha-?!” Soon I began running straight for the door, a sandwich container clutched in my arms like a football, while being chased by Toraishi and a hungry Inumine. 

“Hey Satou, lemme try some!”

“Me too! Me too!”

 _‘Never, you baboons!’_ I shouted in my brain. 

At the same time, Tatsumi laughed as he watched the three of us run about in the classroom. “Satou-san sure is getting along with Inumine and Toraishi, right Eigo?”

Sawatari, in response to Tatsumi’s delight, replied with a small smile. “Indeed, Tatsumi.” 

Only Ugawa pointed out what was actually happening between the three goofballs at the moment. “Tatsumin, I don’t think Satou is getting along with Inumine and Toraishi if she’s running away from them.”


End file.
